IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 25, 2012
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To prohibit the Secretary of Labor from reissuing or issuing a rule substantially similar to a certain proposed rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 relating to child labor.
(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the ‘Preserving America’s Family Farms Act’.
(b) Findings- Congress finds that--
(1) family farms have a long history and tradition of providing youth with valuable work experience;
(2) Department of Labor regulations should not adversely impact the longstanding tradition of youth working on farms where they can gain valuable skills and lessons on hard work, character, and leadership;
(3) the Department of Labor’s proposed regulations would have curtailed opportunities for youth to gain experiential learning and hands-on skills for enrollment in vocational agricultural training;
(4) the proposed regulations would have obstructed the opportunity for youth to find rewarding employment and earn money for a college education or other meaningful purposes;
(5) the proposed regulations would have limited opportunities for young farmers wishing to pursue a career in agriculture at a time when the average age of farmers continues to rise; and
(6) working on a farm has become a way of life for thousands of youth across the rural United States.
Passed the House of Representatives July 24, 2012.
U.S. Congress - Text of H.R.4157 as Referred in Senate Preserving America's Family Farms Act
